What Does Science Consider Pollution?

When contaminants that can change the natural environment are introduced, the result is called pollution. Contaminants in the water, air, soil and even too much noise can be called pollutants from a scientific perspective.

There are five major types of pollution. They are soil, water, air, light and noise pollution.

Air: Harmful gases and tiny particles (like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide) can pollute the air. The smoke released from burning fuel, factories and cars are the major sources of air pollution.

Soil: Garbage from our homes, offices and factories can release contaminants into the soil. About 34 percent of our waste is recycled. More than half, 54 percent, are dumped onto landfills.

Water: Waste chemicals, sewage, pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural sites, or metals like lead or mercury can contaminate the water making it unsafe for regular use. About forty percent of our rivers and 46 percent of lakes are too contaminated for swimming or aquatic life.

When there’s too much noise or too many electric lights in an area, noise and light pollution occur. These are called pollutants because they adversely affect the natural environment.

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Nina Sen

Nina Sen is a frequent contributor to Live Science’s Life’s Little Mysteries series: an exploration and explanation of our world’s phenomena, both natural and man-made. She also writes astronomy photo stories for Live Science's sister site Space.com.